A Madisonville woman whose son was born while she was in a coma has died, her family said on social media.

On a page the family dedicated to keeping people updated on Sharista Giles, the family confirmed Giles’ death May 21.

“Sharista Giles gained her wings this morning,” the post said. “She has suffered for 3 1/2 years; now she is rejoicing with Our Heavenly Father. She can walk, talk, sing, dance, and put that Beautiful Smile back on again.”

Giles was severely injured in a car accident in 2014. She was a passenger in a car returning from a concert in Nashville when the car’s driver hit a guardrail.

At the time, she was four months pregnant. Later, when her temperature rose dangerously high, doctors at University of Tennessee Medical Center delivered her son, Leighton. Now a healthy 3 years old, he weighed less than 2 pounds at birth and spent some time in the neonatal intensive care unit before returning home to be raised by his grandparents.

Meanwhile, Giles woke from her coma after three months, responding with eye tracking and hand-squeezes and an understanding that her son had been born.

Sharista Giles, in an undated photo from Facebook.(Photo: Submitted)

She spent a while undergoing intensive therapy in a Harriman rehabilitation center before returning to live with her parents. Though she could breathe unassisted, she required a feeding tube and never made a full recovery.

In December and January, according to the Facebook page, Giles battled double pneumonia, requiring her to be hospitalized at UT Medical Center and in Sweetwater. Though she recovered enough to return home, she made little progress after, the family said on social media.

Sharista Giles and her 3-year-old nap together recently. Giles, whose son was born while she was in a coma following a car accident, died this week.(Photo: Submitted/Giles family)

First cousin Felecia Vincil said the entire family is struggling with the loss, especially how to explain it to Leighton.

"With him being so young, it’s hard to know what to tell him when he asks where Momma is," Vincil said. "His grandparents and his father are doing a wonderful job with him, and the entire family will make sure he knows her how she was."

The community around Monroe County, especially, followed her journey closely online and in local media, as did strangers from all over the world. Vincil said the family is thankful for prayers as well as donations to a GoFundMe account set up to help with funeral expenses.

Giles' family will receive friends 6-8 p.m. Friday, May 25, with the funeral following at Biereley-Hale Funeral Home in Madisonville. Burial will be at noon Saturday at Memorial Gardens in Sweetwater; family and friends will meet at 11 at the funeral home.